User:Tennessee Ernie Ford/Gaile sez

Gaile Sez

This page is intended to be a mini-wiki to store Gaile Grey's answers to frequently asked questions so that that they might be (a) quoted verbatim and (b) sourced appropriately, in order to provide quicker responses for people who post on her Support Issues page or personal talk.

• Everyone has my permission to transclude this article where ever appropriate, using {{User:Tennessee Ernie Ford/Gaile sez}}.
  • Only the "Gaile's responses" section will get transcluded; this introductory section will not.
• Where sensible, copy and paste a specific quote and/or use the simple link, [[User:Tennessee Ernie Ford/Gaile sez#Gaile's responses to Common Questions]].

• The following users have my explicit permission to edit the "transcluable" portion of the article, as long as they follow the intended spirit of the page. (As it is in my user space, I reserve the right to final edits and reversions, to ensure that the page serves its primary goal.)
  • User:Gaile Grey
  • User:Auron
  • User:Greener
  • User:JonTheMon
  • User:Karate Jesus
  • User:Lania Elderfire
  • User:Silver Edge
  • User:Wynthyst

• Drop me a note if you want me to add your name to the list. (My apologies if left you out: my fingers are tired and my eyes grow weary as I parse the page histories to see who posts on Gaile's page.)

Gaile's responses to Common Questions

(Quotes are verbatim.)

Can farming all day get me banned?

• "We certainly understand that players can farm raptors for long hours in a day. We have no problem with legitimate farmers." [1]

Is there any problem with me playing from a friend's computer? Or a different location from my usual one?

• "People play all the time from the same home, dorm, or office. They're playing on their own accounts, not someone else's account, and there's obviously no problem with that. " [2]

Can I use a macro?

• "PvE Gamplay: As long as you are at your computer and are actively playing the game, we’re ok with what you’re doing. As soon as the game plays itself – as soon as you can walk away and the computer continues to play – you’re in breach of the Rules of Conduct and you are subject to account sanctions, which can involve an account suspension or an account termination. " [3]
• "PvP Gameplay: The use of macros that give an advantage in competitive play is strictly prohibited and if it is reported and/or detected, we will research the activity and take the appropriate action on the account, which can affect both tournament eligibility and the account holder’s ability to continue to play Guild Wars, either with a temporary suspension or an account termination." [4]
• "We cannot condone or support the use of macros. For one thing, a lot of macros contain trojans or other malware, ... Now, if the question is about whether we would block an account of someone using one, ...if the use of a macro were of no detriment to the community, we would be less likely to take action than one that clearly had negative consequences. But if this is a request for us to say "That macro is harmless, please feel free to use it," I am afraid that I absolutely cannot say that." [5]

Can I use a programmable keyboard?

• "The keyboard is fine, but as others cautioned, you should not get it so macro'd out that it auto-targets, auto-attacks, auto-picks-up-the-loot, and auto-brew-you-an-espresso-while-you-play. ;) " [6]

Has ANet, in any of their reviews of account security and corporate security, ever detected a breach of GW Accounts, NCSoft Accounts, and/or support accounts?

• "no security leaks were detected on the Guild Wars or NCsoft side, despite weeks of testing and monitoring that continues to this day." [7]

Does ANet officially approve of running two accounts at once from the same computer (e.g. using GWx2)?

re: GWx2

• "regarding using two separate machines for muling between separate accounts is definite allowed. I do it personally and I asked years ago about its permissability, so there's no question in my mind it's ok."
• "Here is the general answer: We do not support the use of third-party programs for Guild Wars. This includes programs that allow a player to simultaneously play multiple Guild Wars accounts on a single computer. However, we do not take action against those who do so as long as they do not engage in cheats, exploits, or other breaches of the User Agreement or Rules of Conduct. Keep in mind that the use of third-party programs is strongly discouraged and we cannot offer support if you develop problems as a result of their use." (emphasis TEF)

re: general comments about two accounts

• Adding in the fact that people have been using GWx2 for years (without an adverse ANet reaction), I think there's enough information there to draw reasonable conclusions about the safety of running multiple accounts on the same PC. Gaile has also said (at various times) that she has asked for official reflection on a variety of specific uses for multiple accounts (e.g. double-solo farming). She has promised to post again as soon as she receives her internal answer. Tennessee Ernie Ford 23:23, 21 June 2009 (UTC)

• "...the comments above constitute a pretty clear answer. I really don't know what else could be said about the subject. Few -- very few -- innocent players are blocked for botting, and those issues are addressed promptly with no penalty, naturally. I have asked the Live Team for comments about the use of third-party programs such as the one you cite. They may give me more details, which I will provide you. But at this point, all I can say is contained in the quotes that Tennessee Ernie Ford provided. (Thanks, TEF!)" Gaile 21:00, 22 June 2009 (UTC)

• "After checking with the Live Team, I can assure you that death leveling of pets in the manner described -- that is, without cheats or bots -- is perfectly fine." -- Gaile 04:46, 26 June 2009 (UTC)

Can you tell me which programs ANet absolutely prohibits? How about which programs ANet tolerates.

• "I cannot say which program you used that raised the "bot flag," nor is the team empowered to do so. Because it is so important for us to protect the security of our bot detection system, we can't give details that could lead to deductions on the part of bot programmers that allow them to work around that detection system.
  
  Certain programs in their native, unadulterated form are not malicious and will not result in account action. Yet even those cannot be given any form of formal "approval," as we've made clear in the past, because the programs can be altered to include malware or cheat elements.
  
  We're in the business of creating games, not approving, monitoring, and vetting programs made by other people, and for that reason, the use of any third party program is always "at your own risk."
  
  I have seen case after case where someone used a program that is usually harmless but in the version he/she used, was not harmless at all. I hope this information helps you better understand the actions that were taken." 21:24, 28 April 2011 Gaile Gray (Additional spacing and emphasis by TEF.)